The Return
by PrincessCeliel
Summary: Hacker has won. In a last burst of energy, Motherboard managed to save Digit, Jackie, Matt, and Inez. Motherboard's few allies have been looking for them. Slider managed to find a Mike, Jessie, Irene, and Donald Chase, but Mike doesn't want to get back into another war. Will Hacker rule forever? Is Cyberspace doomed? This is not good, not good at all! Disclaimer: I don't own this:)
1. Author's Note

**Hey, guys. I've had this idea to write this story for practically forever, but I have no clue if it's a good idea or not. I would really appreciate it if you could read what I have out so far and give me feedback on if I should continue this story or delete it. Please and thank you all so much!**

**I do not own Cyberchase in any way form or fashion – this is going to be my only disclaimer (and probably author's note) for the entire story. Thank you all so much once again!**


	2. Chapter 1

It had been two years since Hacker had won. Everything had changed drastically. No one was the same. Laws (absolutely ridiculous and cruel) laws had been set into place.

No one could question these laws. No one could question the ruler, The Hacker. And no one could speak of those "Earth brats" in a good way. They were still at large, and The Hacker was still looking for them. Anyone who was found to have helped them was being thoroughly searched and then thrown into Bernie's Black Hole.

Everyone was afraid of The Hacker, and wanted him gone. There was no doubt in anyone's mind about that, even though no one dared come out and say it out loud. Therefore, in a small, rural village in the outskirts of Cyberchase, in a little place called Smallsville, no one ever said anything about three new citizens, and their pet bird.

They were a small family, claiming to have been relocated from their previous home by the Great Hacker. Michael "Mike" Chase, his wife, Jessica "Jessie" Chase, and their sweet little girl, Irene Chase, now lived on a farm a while away from downtown Smallsville, with their rather strange little bird, Donald.

Mike finished up checking on the pigs. He paused just before going back into his house, however, and stared up at the sky. It was blue and sunny – almost perfect. It made him smile to think that not even The Hacker could control the weather.

He knew that he absolutely shouldn't, but on days like this, he couldn't help but think back to before The Hacker. He thought back to Motherboard. Mike wondered where she was now. In her last burst of energy, before Hacker had completely forced his control, she'd used her powers to change him, and his friends. Now, he was about twenty years old. If someone passed him down the street, they'd never have recognized him to be who he was.

Motherboard had altered his appearance, but he liked to think that if he had been given time to grow, he would look the same. He was tall now, and muscular. His red hair was fluffier, but still short. He had a splash of freckles across his face, and his skin had tanned nicely from days under the sun. He wore overalls most of the time, although he had a few nice suits for when The Hacker demanded meetings about how wonderful he was. He worked on the farm, tending to pigs, cows, sheep, chickens, and horses.

His "wife," Jessie, had also changed. She was also about twenty years old now. She was just a few inches shorter than Mike, and her black hair had grown out to halfway down her back. She was just the fashionista as ever, although she spent most of her time in simple jeans and a T-shirt. She was the village seamstress, and it seemed like she never had a break. Someone always needed something mended. It brought in extra money, though, so they could pay The Hacker's constantly rising taxes.

Their "daughter," Irene, had changed the most. She was four years old. Mike couldn't help but think that Motherboard hadn't been focusing on what she had been doing too much, or else Irene would be the same age as her "parents." Still, she was definitely a cute kid. Her brown hair curled around her face, and she had lost her glasses, but gained 20/20 vision. She was just as capable as the rest of them as facing what had happened, but Mike and Jessie liked to pretend she was innocent. They liked to pretend that she really was just a little kid.

Last but not least, their "pet" bird, Donald. He flapped around often, mostly playing with Irene. She had been the one to name him after all, and only Mike and Jessie knew the name was after a Disney character.

Mike wiped the sweat off his brow and walked inside the little cottage he now called home. It was purely by accident that they had found it, but since no one really knew what to do with it anyway, the little village was quite content to let them have it.

"Hey, Mike. How are the pigs doing?" Jessie called from upstairs.

"Doing good." Mike replied.

"Doing _well_." Irene corrected from the kitchen.

"Sorry, the pigs are doing _well_." Mike stepped into the kitchen to see Irene and Donald, both eating cookies.

"Hey, you two. Dinner's going to be ready in a half hour." He scolded halfheartedly. "Put those cookies away."

Irene offered him one and he took it. "Well, just make sure you still have an appetite for dinner."

Bribery was usually pretty sweet in this household.

Jessie appeared, seemingly out of nowhere. She'd gotten better at doing that ever since she'd figured out she was going to be a mom. "Put those away! Mike, are you eating one? You are setting such a horrible example."

Mike snorted. "For who? Donald?"

Jessie rolled her eyes and picked up the tin, ignoring Irene's indignant squeal.

"Hey! I was eating those!"

"Well, now you're not." Jessie snapped.

Mike grinned and plopped down next to Irene. Donald fluttered onto the chair beside him. "So, Reeny, what'd you do all day?"

"Don't call me Reeny." Irene grumbled. "I read. You know, like I usually do?"

"Oh, come on. I'll take you to the library tomorrow if I have time." Mike offered. He hated seeing Irene so upset, but she was usually bored all day. She was too young to be of any help around the farm, and too inexperienced to help Jessie sew. She liked to read, but after a while even that becomes boring.

"I wish you guys would let me go to school." Irene whispered. It was a subject she had broached many times, but it always got shot down.

"Oh, sweetie, you know why we can't do that." Jessie sighed softly. She pulled out some dishes and started serving lamb stew, or in other words, dinner.

There was a small school in the village for some children who had the time and inclination to learn. It was completely overrun by minions of The Hacker, and was deemed too dangerous even before stepping into it. Every school in every cybersite was the central station used to communicate with The Hacker, or one of his henchmen, Buzz or Delete. If one got particularly lucky, they might even get to talk to Wicked.

Irene heaved a sigh and hopped off of her chair. "I'm not hungry."

"Sit back down, Irene." Jessie ordered. "You know you're not supposed to eat cookies before dinner. How many did you have?"

"Fourteen." Irene said.

"She's lying; she only had two." Mike rolled his eyes. "You only made, like, twenty, right Jess?"

"Yeah, you're right." Jessie quickly glanced over the remaining cookies and did the math. "You had one, and Donald must have had one, so Reeny only had two."

"Don't call me that." Irene whined, sitting back down.

No one said anything as dinner was handed out. Irene picked at her food, Jessie told her to finish eating it. Donald got his beak stuck in the soup, Mike helped him untangle it. Dinner was usually a quiet affair.

A knock suddenly resounded through the house. Jessie and Mike exchanged a worried glance; who would come around during dinnertime?

Mike excused himself from the table and hurried to answer it.

He opened the door to find a lone soldier, dressed in The Hacker's military uniform. His stomach tied in knots, but he tried for a nonchalant smile.

"Hi, can I help you?"

Then he looked at the soldier's face, and his resolve nearly crumbled. The soldier…this soldier was someone he once knew – someone he thought had died.

"Mike? Michael, who is it?" Jessie called from inside.

She received no answer.

Michael Chase was looking right into the face of twenty year old Slider.


	3. Chapter 2

"I think you'd better come in. I'm Mike, by the way. Michael Chase." Mike hurriedly introduced himself.

Slider didn't say anything, although his eyebrows crinkled together.

The moment Jessie saw Slider, she dropped the plate she had been holding and gasped. Luckily, it only bounced a few times, and she picked it up after a moment.

"This is my wife, Jessica Chase." Mike quickly pointed out. "This is Irene, and this is Donald."

Irene was staring at Slider openmouthed. Mike knew what both the girls were thinking, because he was thinking the same. Was Slider a traitor?

"May I sit down?" Slider was asking.

Jessie nodded, and Slider sat down next to Irene, in the chair Mike had previously been in. Irene was obviously uncomfortable. She waited for about two seconds before crawling under the table and sitting down on a chair opposite him. Donald joined her on the chair, and they moved closer together.

Slider waited until Jessica sat down at the table before leaning back slightly. "I can't believe I finally found you guys."

It was a moment before Mike found his voice. "What are you talking about?"

Slider looked at him in confusion.

"You can't tell me you don't remember. You know, just before The Great War was won, Motherboard –" His voice quieted down to a whisper. "– sent out her energy to ever ally who would be in danger once The Hacker took over. She told us that the Earthlies were just like us, hidden in different bodies, somewhere in Cyberspace. There was an underground movement, started by myself and Creech, and almost everyone got into it. Now that I've finally found you, we can go back and start figuring out how to defeat Hacker!"

Mike couldn't look at the man he'd once considered his best friend.

"Irene, come on. Let's go upstairs. It's time for bed." Jessie interrupted. Her voice cracked just a little, but she stood up and tugged the little girl's hand.

"What? No!" Irene cried. "I want to talk to –"

She was cut off by Jessie, who had put her hand over her daughter's mouth. "We're going upstairs _now_. Donald, you're coming too."

It was obvious neither bird nor girl wanted to exit the room, but Jessie picked Irene up, which ended the matter for her. After a brief moment of consideration, Donald followed the girls.

"Matt."

Mike's head whipped around. He hadn't heard someone address him by that name since before two years ago.

"My name is Mike, Slider." Mike hissed. "I don't know any Matt."

Slider glanced at him. "I know you haven't lost your memory. I can see it in your eyes. You know my name. But what in the world are you talking about? You and I both know your name isn't Mike."

"I think you should leave." Mike stood up. "You don't understand what you're doing. You're kicking up dust where dust shouldn't be. Please stop, and leave my family alone."

"Ma – Mike. What are you talking about? This is crazy! I've spent the last two years looking for you four, and now that I've found you, you're telling me to get out? What's going on? Don't you want to stop Hacker?" Slider cried out.

Mike was struggling to maintain his composure. "All I want, Slider, is to survive, and keep my family alive. Don't you see? There are no Earthlies left. There's only one family, and with one little turn of the wind, we could be blown to dust forever. Go, and don't come back. Tell your people that we're dead. The truth is, we are."

Slider stopped speaking. He searched in Mike's eyes for something. A spark of fire that would tell him what he wanted to hear – that this lonely existence was not the fate that the Cybersquad had resigned themselves too.

When he found nothing, he sighed heavily. His eyes suddenly seemed to age with every passing second.

"Alright." He whispered. "Alright. But Mike…if the Cybersquad ever decide that they want to live again, my door is always open. Just go to Radopolis and ask for Samuel."

Mike met his eyes. "Okay. Okay… Samuel."

Slider nodded curtly once, before stepping back and jogging back down to the street.

Mike shut the door and closed his eyes, trying to calm the hurricane of emotions in the pit of his stomach.

He heard a sound behind him and turned to see Jessie moving toward him. Worry was colored in her dark brown eyes, but she knew not to voice anything.

"Jessie." He heard himself whisper. "_Jackie_."

Her eyes widened at the sound of her name. "Matt?"

He wrapped his arms around her. He could feel her start to crumble in the safety of his embrace. In this horrific nightmare, they didn't even have themselves. They only had each other.

When it had started, Jessie and Mike had been rocks for each other, and both of them together had been an entire island for Donald and Irene. They'd spent many nights not unlike this one, clutching onto each other, crying, and trying not to alert the other two.

Once in a while, Donald would break down. He spoke, in those times, in brief whispers. They knew it was far too dangerous to let him go on for too long, but the sweet relief he would get from just using his voice was almost too cruel to interrupt.

Irene had never had a single break down. Even now, Mike could never remember a single time that she'd cried. Sure, she'd gotten angry, screamed once or twice, but she'd never cried. She had become withdrawn, almost as quiet as the books she read. Irene had almost become her old self when she'd heard about the school and tried to persuade them to let her go. It had broken Mike's heart to refuse – he knew that going to school, having some sort of constant in her life, might have brought back life into the little girl.

Jessie sighed deeply, the tears slowly coming to a stop. She pulled away and buried her face in her hands, trying to wipe at the smearing make up.

"Did you hear what…what Slider wanted?" Mike asked.

Jessica nodded, and then bit her lip. "Irene did too. She wanted to come downstairs and go with Slider when you refused. She was livid."

"I tried to pick the option that was best for us." Mike explained. Jessie nodded quickly, and he felt himself relax in relief. At least she recognized what he had done for them. It had been pure torture to turn down his childhood friend like that, and he had a feeling Irene wouldn't be as understanding as Jessica was. "Is she still awake?"

"I had Donald watch her so I could come downstairs." Jessie murmured softly. "Let me go change, and then I'll go check."

Mike went to his room, as well, to throw on pajama pants and an old T-shirt. His room was simple, just the way he liked it. The walls were white, and the bed took up most of the space. His dresser was to the side, parallel with the bed. Beyond that, there was nothing else in the room.

He stepped outside only to bump into Jessie. Together, they walked to Irene's room

Irene's room was simply a girlier version of Mike's room. The bed took up most of the room, but the covers were pink. The dresser was also a pink that matched the bed, and also parallel to it. The walls were white, as well. The only real differences were the two or three stuffed animals, strewn across the room, and the stacks of books that covered both the dresser and all four corners of the room.

Irene shifted when they entered, glancing to see who it was. When she saw, she turned around so her back was facing them.

She was wearing a pink pajama bottom and a purple T-shirt, and Mike had to keep from laughing out loud, because Jessie was wearing a purple pajama bottom and a pink T-shirt.

He eased himself onto the bed next to Irene and put a hand on her back.

"Hey, kiddo. How're you holding up?"

He felt Jessie lie down next to him, and Donald flew over, landing below Irene's feet. He used Mike's legs as a pillow.

Irene still wasn't talking to him, apparently. She put her head on her pillow and closed her eyes, pretending to be asleep.


	4. Chapter 3

Jessie turned off the lights.

Mike gently picked up Irene and rolled her over, so that she was in between the two adults.

"Come on, Reeny, talk to me." Mike prodded gently. "What's up?"

Irene ignored him and rolled over, so she was facing Jessie.

Jessie sighed and put a hand on Irene's head. "Reeny, please. Tell us what's wrong."

"We can't help you if you don't let us in." Mike added.

Irene continued to ignore both of their pleas. After a moment, Jessie got up and pulled the blanket over the four of them.

"We're not going to leave until you tell us what happened." She warned.

Irene's only response was to turn back to her pillow.

Mike sighed and glanced at Jessie. Both of them were sure that Irene was upset because Mike had turned down Slider's offer, but until she told them so herself, they couldn't assume. Irene had gotten so withdrawn that Jessie was frightened that she might eventually truly be lost to them. They'd spent days trying to convince Irene to tell them what she was really feeling inside, but the closest either one of them had gotten was the argument over the school.

Jessie felt Donald brush her leg as he pushed his way out of the blanket to breathe. He fluttered up on top of Mike and started to snore.

With a last, final sigh, she closed her eyes and tried to follow his example.


	5. Chapter 4

"Irene, what are you doing?" Donald whispered. It was the dead of night, and Mike and Jessie were fast asleep. He knew he shouldn't have been speaking, but Irene was standing next to the window. Her expression was glass, and he knew as much as a wrong _breath_ could send her flying outside.

Irene turned on him, her chocolate eyes red-hot with rage. "My name's Inez."

"What are you doing? You're going to get all of us in trouble." Donald persisted.

Her face crumpled, and she slid onto the floor. Donald hopped down next to her, and she wrapped her arms around his small body. He was almost as big as she was, he realized.

"We're cowards." Irene whispered softly to him. He could feel the tears running down her cheeks. "I get hiding for a little while, until Hacker stops searching for us. But now? Slider was at our door, Digit! We could be fighting Hacker right now, working to get back home. I miss my home. I know that time's not the same, but people at home are probably wondering where we are, right? It's been years, Dige. I just want to go home. I miss my mom. I want to go fight Hacker and be done with this stupid life!"

Donald smoothed her hair back gently. "Oh, Nezzie. Mike and Jessie just want to keep us safe."

"It's Matt and Jackie, Digit." Irene corrected softly. "Matt and Jackie."

Donald grew quiet, letting the silence descend over them like a warm blanket. Soon, Irene's breathing became even, and he realized that she was asleep.

That was when Mike sat up. Gently, he put his arms around the little girl and brought her back to the bed, tucking the blanket around her and the cyborg mechanically. He moved to the other side and put a hand on Jessie's arm.

She sat up and let him lead her out of the bedroom. He tucked her into her own bed, ignoring her silent sobs. Afterwards, he slipped outside.

The barn was loud and smelly, despite the late hour. Mike sucked in all his breath and punched a stall, yelling loudly. His voice faded into the night, and he plopped down on a stool.

He did something he hadn't done in years, ever since the girls and Donald had needed him to be the strong one. He buried his face into his hands and dissolved into tears.


	6. Chapter 5

It was silent in the Chase household. Mike made breakfast quietly, while Jessie ran out to throw some feed to the chickens. Donald flapped around the house, tidying up some toys and clothes that were left out. Irene was bathing.

When the three of them returned to the kitchen, Mike served cereal.

"After all this time, you'd think you'd learn how to make breakfast." Jessie groaned.

"Cereal is breakfast!" Mike mock glared at her, and she laughed.

The entire scenario seemed forced. Irene watched them with wary, indifferent eyes.

Mike sighed and drained his bowl. "Come on, Reeny. I told you I would take you to the library today."

Irene didn't answer, but she finished her cereal too.

"Are you sure you don't want to come with us, Jess?" Mike called out to her.

"Nah, I have a boatload of clothes to finish stitching. Some of these people have no fashion sense whatsoever, and I have to physically keep myself from adding sparkles, or ribbons, or bows, or _anything_ to keep the drab out." Jessie replied. "Donald will keep me company, right Donald?"

Donald winced. He looked like he was ready to make a break for it.

Irene walked back into the kitchen, buttoning up her big blue winter coat. It wasn't cold enough for it yet, but with The Hacker in charge, no one ever knew what the temperature was going to be in a couple of hours.

Mike grabbed his own and waved good bye to Jessie and Donald. Irene was waiting by the front door patiently.

_Just another reminder that she's not another little kid_, he thought to himself grimly.

"Come on, Reeny. Let's get to those books!" He grinned at her, trying to get a reaction.

She barely looked at him.

Irene was hiding inside herself once again. Mike knew that she wouldn't speak to him at all during the trip. He just wished he knew her thought process. How could he help her, if he didn't know what the problem was in the first place?

_Stupid Slider_, he thought darkly. _It's his fault that she's becoming withdrawn. Why did he have to come?_

But in his heart, he knew that Slider wasn't the reason at all.


	7. Chapter 6

The library was big and quiet, and Irene instantly relaxed once she was wrapped in its comforting embrace. Mike moved to sit in one of the chairs lining the wall, while she wandered around the huge bookshelves.

A few books caught her eyes, but she ignored them. She didn't like picking books that didn't seem completely worthwhile to read. If she was at home, she would have gone to the computers and looked up reviews on certain books to gauge other readers' reactions. Now, however, she could only do her best to decide.

A rather dusty book seemed to call out to her. Irene glanced around, but no one was paying too much attention to her. She surged forward and pulled it out.

_A Tale of Two Cities _by Charles Dickens fell into her arms.

A book from home. Irene stared at it incomprehensibly. She hadn't seen titles from Earth in Cyberspace – ever. Every time she came, Irene would ask the librarian if a certain book was in, and the librarian would stare at her in confusion and tell her the book didn't exist.

And now, Charles Dickens was in her hands.

Irene carefully opened up the book and skimmed the first page. The words of home reached out to her and sucked her in.

Mike found her like that, sitting against a bookshelf, absorbed in the book, twenty minutes later.

He took a moment to smile fondly at the girl in front of him. Whenever she read or argued, it was like Inez was sparking up inside of Irene. He missed Inez, more than he missed Irene.

Mike took a moment to review his schedule for the day. He didn't have anything incredibly important to do, so he pulled a chair out and sat near Irene. He'd let her read the book for the rest of the day. If she hadn't already yanked him to the front door, the book was probably not something she wanted to checkout.

Irene finished the book and flipped it over. Her eyes began to droop sleepily. She had gotten almost no sleep the night before, even after she'd broken down in front of Donald, and she still felt drained. Her eyes shut and she slid into sleep.

Mike watched her fall asleep. He waited until he was sure that she wouldn't wake up if he touched her, and then pulled the book from her grasp. He returned it to the shelf and picked up the sleeping girl. She snuggled into his arms. He grabbed her big coat and draped it over her, like a blanket.

"WHERE ARE THEY?"

Mike looked up. At the outside of the library, a huge crowd had formed. Standing at the head of it was _THE HACKER._

He backed up quickly and hid behind a wall, so he could see outside, but no one could see him. He cradled Irene protectively.

"I know the Earth brats are here. I know that you know where they are. Either you tell me where they're hiding, or I'll throw each and every one of you into Bernie's Black Hole, one by one, until I find where they're hiding." The Hacker threatened.

"Please, sir." One woman stepped up. "We have searched far and wide for the Cybersquad. They are not here. They're not in Smallsville."

Hacker paused, as though considering the woman's words. Then, he lunged forward and grabbed her, making the crowd shout out.

Behind him, Buzz and Delete pulled open a curtain, which revealed a cage. The woman was hurled in, screaming.

"You'll be the first to go." The Hacker snarled. He turned back to the crowd. "Find them – or you'll all die!"

With that, he flipped his cape and stormed to the Grim Wreaker.

Mike looked down to see Irene. Her small hand curled around the front of his shirt in barely suppressed rage and frustration. He could see the tears forming.

"That was Miss Gerald." Irene whispered. "She's the teacher at the school."

Mike nodded. He'd recognized her after a moment, too.

"Matt." Irene hissed. Her words were barely making a sound, so Mike didn't reprimand her. "We can't let all these innocent people die just because we're in hiding. You know Hacker's ruthless. He won't stop until he finds us; and he doesn't care who gets in the way. We have to stop him!"

Mike pressed his lips together. He knew what he should say – no, they needed to pick and move out of Smallsville and somewhere safer. But watching Hacker throw an innocent woman into a cage, to be tossed into a black hole, for telling the truth? It sparked a fire within him. Hacker needed to be brought to justice. This had gone too far.

Irene looked at Mike hopefully. He put his arms around her and picked her up.

"Come on. We have to go tell Jackie and Digit that we're taking a vacation. To Radopolis."

Irene beamed at him, the first genuine smile she had given in days.

Mike shook his head. Mike, Jessie, Donald, Irene. Matt, Jackie, Digit, and Inez.

The Cybersquad was back.


	8. Chapter 7

Jackie tensed slightly as they arrived at the Transportation Center. Hacker insisted that anytime anyone travel anywhere outside of their Cybersite, they go through the Transportation Center, so that their names would be on record. As far as anyone in Smallsville knew, they were still Mike, Jessie, Donald and Irene Chase, but they'd always been extremely cautious to avoid any place where the security would take down their names. Now it felt like they were walking straight into the dragon's lair.

Inez's fingers curled around her hand. They'd kept up the charade that they were going to visit a sick relative in Radopolis. They'd packed light, and now were hurrying through the Transportation Center with concerned expressions on their faces.

Matt caught her eye and gave her a reassuring smile.

It felt so good to think about him as Matt.

For so long, she had only been able to refer to her friends as their aliases – she couldn't afford to slip up and say the wrong name in front of the wrong person.

At last, they arrived at the pod that they needed to be in. Matt settled their suitcases on a couple seats and sat down next to them. Digit hopped up on the seat next to him, stretching his wings leisurely, as though he didn't have a care in the world.

Jackie and Inez took seats across from the boys. Inez settled back and began to yawn. It was almost nearing midnight, and she hadn't been getting enough rest recently, Jackie knew.

She looked down at the little girl next to her. Inez's eyes began to flutter closed, and soon she was breathing deeply. Jackie stared down at her fondly, but instead of focusing, she allowed her mind to wander. She tried to remember what Inez had used to look like before she had been thrust into the age of four. It startled her to realize that the image her mind conjured up was fuzzy.

She gazed across at Matt and Digit, and realized that she couldn't remember what they used to look like, either. With a start, she sat up straight. What did she used to look like? What was she liked before she had assumed the identity of a seamstress? She now knew Jessie like the back of her hand, but who was Jackie?

Jackie quickly picked up and Inez and moved to the boys.

"I'm going to use the bathroom; watch Reeny." She ordered. Matt looked at her strangely, as though he knew that she was about to have a panic attack. Nevertheless, the sweet boy merely smiled and took his "daughter."

"Okay, just make sure you're back in ten minutes. We're going to be leaving soon."

Jackie nodded tightly and rushed into a private bathroom. She locked the door behind her and stared at her reflection.

Her black hair was long, and at the moment, severely tangled and frizzy. She knew she was supposed to look as though she'd just stumbled out of bed, to keep up with their story. Instead, she pulled a comb out of her purse and slowly undid the tangles.

With trembling fingers, she reached into her bag and pulled out her yellow scrunchie hair tie. She wrapped her hair around her head and tied it up, so it was in a bun.

Almost instantly, her breathing slowed and she felt herself calm down. The reflection in the mirror almost resembled a girl named Jackie. She stared at herself for a while, looking for similarities between Jackie and Jessie.

Eventually, she undid her bun and let her hair fall free. She washed her face and gave herself a shakily confident smile in the mirror.

Then, she unlocked the door and returned to her family.


	9. Chapter 8

After a long and complicated process to board a space shuttle, Jackie, Matt, and Inez settled down. Digit had been placed in the pet compartment. No one liked being separated, but putting up a fuss would bring too much attention to their travels.

It was excruciatingly slow going. By the second hour, Inez was the only one awake. She had counted the ceiling tiles in the shuttle, walked down the aisle three hundred times, and even stared at other passengers intensely, memorizing them.

Inez was thrilled that they were on their way to rescue Cyberspace from the evil clutches of Hacker. Her body shook with anticipation whenever she thought about it, but also with a little apprehension. She was afraid that after all their time hiding, their skills might be a little rusty. And what would Slider think of them? Who else was with Slider, or was he all alone?

"Irene." Someone whispered. Inez turned to see Jackie, who gave her an admonishing look. "Try to get some sleep."

"I can't." Inez answered back. "I'm too excited…and nervous. Ja – um, Mom, what are we going to do? How do we fix all this? I mean, look at us. We're not anything like what we were back then. And, to be honest, a lot of winning was through luck. What if we're not lucky anymore? What if –"

"Slow down." Jackie replied. "Everything's going to work out fine. First we have to figure out a plan."

"Well, step number one is going to be to find Samuel." Inez offered.

"That's right." Jackie nodded. "After we find him, we'll be able to learn everything we missed and come up with an educated guess.

"A conjecture." Inez said. "Right?"

"Sure." Jackie replied. "And a conjecture is?"

"An estimate, speculation, an idea." Inez explained absently. In her mind, she was already going through scenarios.

"Okay then." Jackie murmured. "Well, let's try to get some sleep. We're going to be going through a lot in approximately…four hours."

"Four hours?" Inez groaned.

"Try for some sleep, okay?" Jackie suggested.

A loud snore suddenly reached them, and the girls looked up to see Matt, fast asleep, with his mouth wide open.

They dissolved into giggles.


	10. Chapter 9

Radopolis was shiny and bright, filled with sunlight that glared down on every dark thing disapprovingly.

Matt was holding onto Digit's "pet compartment," and their few belongings, while Jackie and Inez held onto each other. After situating themselves, Matt walked up to someone walking down the street.

"Excuse me; do you know where I can find Samuel?" He asked politely.

"Sure thing, hon." The woman nodded. "That's his garage right there. He's a doll at fixing up cars, and his girlfriend's mighty good with plants."

"Girlfriend?" Matt's jaw dropped.

"Yeah, Kate, she's such a sweetie. Well, I've got to go, so good bye!"

Matt waved weakly, looking over to Digit.

"Slider has a girlfriend?" Digit mouthed in shock.

"Come on, Mike!" Jackie called.

Matt ran over and pointed to Slider's garage. Within moments, they were standing in front of it. They each took a deep breath, before Matt reached over and knocked.

The door flung open immediately, and a girl with bright blue hair looked at them.

"Matt? Jackie?" The girl whispered. She peered down at Inez and Digit. "Digit? Inez?"

"Creech?" Inez squealed.

"Um, Creech, can we come in?" Matt asked.

Creech blushed. "Oh, yeah, sorry."

As they entered the small garage, it seemed as though nothing had changed. It looked exactly as it had all those years ago, when they had last visited it.

"I knew you would come!" Creech bubbled up in enthusiasm. "When Sl – uh, Sammy told me you refused, I knew that it wasn't true."

Matt's face turned slightly pink. He wondered what exactly Slider had told Creech. He was afraid that when the truth came out, Creech wouldn't be so overjoyed to realize that he had initially refused Slider's offer.

"Sammy!" Creech, well, screeched, into the garage.

Slider seemed to pop out of nowhere. "Yeah, Ka –"

He froze when he saw them. Slowly, he started to grin. "Looks like you guys made it. I was worried for a bit."

"You don't ever have to worry when it comes to us." Inez stated proudly.

Slider grinned at her, but his eyes slipped to meet Matt's. Matt frowned and looked away, down at Digit's compartment. Quickly, he leaned down and undid it.

"Okay, man, what's the plan?" Digit burst out.

"Shh!" Jackie whispered, snapping back to security mode. She turned to Slider and Creech in a business-like fashion. "How safe is it here? How often are patrols? Do we need to use our assigned names? If so, we need to sit down and explain exactly who we are so no one messes up if we ever have company."

"Whoa, Jacks." Slider put his hand up defensively. "This is a safe house. Hacker and his goons raided it immediately after they took over, and haven't been back since. Our spies in the system say that whenever he raids a place, he never returns. It's not a good strategy, but it's good for us. But you're right. We need to know all of our safety names and stories. I'm Samuel, as you know. This is 'Kate.' She's my 'girlfriend,' for the time-being, since neither of us looks enough like the other to be considered related, like brother or sister. What about you?"

"I'm Jessie Chase." Jackie began nervously. "This is my, um, 'husband' Mike, daughter, Irene, and pet bird, Donald. He's a farmer, and I'm a seamstress. We came to Radopolis on the account of a family emergency."

Slider nodded. "Okay. Kate, do you think you can show our guests to their rooms? Mike, do you think you can join me downstairs? I want to show you something."

Matt handed Jackie all of the luggage, including Digit's pet carrier and swallowed down his pride. "Uh, yeah. Sure thing."


	11. Chapter 10

Matt swallowed nervously, wondering what Slider wanted to speak with him about. He came up with a million excuses for the way he had avoided returning, but all of them sounded flimsy and weak. Honestly, he knew there was no excuse for the way he had acted – forsaking Cyberspace for his own family.

"Check this out." Slider motioned him over to a wall away from the door. On the wall was an elaborate map of Cyberspace, and certain places on the wall were glowing. "Everywhere that's glowing on the map, we have allies. Each Cybersite that is marked holds Cyborgs who are willing to fight for their freedom. Most of us have disappeared into hiding, but we're all still actively waiting for the chance to help everything to revert to the way it was. We've been searching for you guys, the Cybersquad for eleven months now."

Matt cleared his throat. "Wow."

Slider's finger slid to a button that was pulsing. "If I press this button, I'll let everyone on this map know that I've found you, and to come to this location to begin the end of Hacker's reign."

Matt fell silent. He didn't know what to do. It had been so long since he had last taken control of a situation. He glanced around the room, a neat little basement with only a sturdy ping pong table at the center. A few chairs were pulled up to it, but it seemed kind of empty. Abandoned.

"You don't have to decide now. In fact, Jackie, Digit, and Inez should be included in the decision." Slider suggested. "I just thought you should know."

Matt nodded. "Listen, Slider, I'm sorry."

Slider shook his head. "No, don't apologize. I know what it's like, being totally terrified that you just want to give up all hope of everything going back to normal."

"The difference is that you always stayed strong." Matt grumbled.

"Can I ask you a question?" At Matt's nod, Slider continued. "Who convinced you to come here? I have a feeling it wasn't Jackie."

The use of Jackie's name shocked Matt just a little. It had been so long since he'd heard her name coming from someone else's mouth. "Yeah, it wasn't Jackie. Reen – I mean Inez was the one who decided. She became so depressed after Hacker won, and neither Jessie nor I could stand to see it. When the chance presented itself through you, I got spooked and shut the door, but Irene was always right. I see that now. I can't protect our little bubble forever, but I just might be able to nip the danger in the bud, if we can get rid of Hacker."

Slider smiled slightly, choosing to ignore the fact that Matt had reverted to saying "Jessie" and "Irene" again.

"Let's head upstairs, then. You can tell the girls and Digit what I've told you."

"Right." Matt nodded. "I can't pretend that I'm their protector anymore. They have the same amount of say in anything we do as I."

Slider nodded, and swept his hands toward the stairs in an "after you" fashion. "Welcome back, Matt."


	12. Chapter 11

**Hey, just a note – I'd like to start writing one-shots or stories on requests for people, too. If you go to my profile, you can get the information, and PM me if you'd like me to write anything for you. **** Thank you!**

Upstairs, Jackie and Creech were sitting on the couch, deep in conversation. Inez had originally been a part of it, but eventually, she had wandered away. She explored the kitchen, garage, and all the closets. Finally, she pulled open a door to find Matt and Slider, casually walking up the stairs.

"Oh!" She said, moving out of the way.

"Hey, there Nezzie." Slider teased.

"Come on, you two; let's get to the living room. Are you hungry, Ire – uh, Inez?" Matt asked, pausing slightly.

"Not really." Inez answered. "What's the plan?"

The three of them sat down in the living room. Slider sat on a couch across from Jackie and Creech. Matt grabbed a chair, and Inez perched next to Jackie, and Digit flew in to sit next to Matt.

Slider quickly explained what he had shown to Matt, and then looked around. "Okay, does anyone have any questions?"

"Who are our allies?" Inez queried.

"Ms. Fileshare, Shari Spotter, Mr. Zero, King Dudicus, Glowla, Spout, Judy, Trudy, Master Pi, Fluff, Blinky, Mummsy, Jules, Abby, and Ollie, and a few more." Creech listed.

The Cybersquad nodded seriously.

"What are Hacker's weakest points?" Jackie questioned. "We need a plan."

Slider took a breath. "Well, so far, I know that he leaves his castle around ten in the morning and comes back at three. During that time, he looks for any remaining resistance and tries to squash it. Other than that, I don't know how to defeat him, or how to get past his guards."

"We need to find Dr. Marbles." Jackie mused. "He might be able to help out."

"The last I heard, he landed somewhere in Solaria." Creech spoke up. "But I have no idea if he's still there or if he's moved away by then."

"Is there any way to find out?" Matt asked.

"We should go and see if we can find him." Digit suggested. "The doc is sure to have a backup plan to fix Motherboard."

Everyone paused for a moment, respectfully silent for their fallen leader. Then, they all stood up.

"How are we going to find him? Should we all go together?" Matt asked. "We'll have a better of a chance of finding him, but we'll also have a bigger chance of getting caught by Hacker."

"Right." Slider murmured. "How about we all go, but we go in separate groups, pretending that we don't know each other?"

"Good idea, but how will we be able to reach each other if we do find him?" Inez questioned.

Slider grinned. He moved behind the couch into the kitchen, and returned with four blue items – Squack Pads.

Inez gasped as Slider handed one to Jackie and Matt. Once she got hers, she held it in her hand, relishing the feeling of comfort it gave her. "I've missed this!"

"We'll split up." Matt nodded, slipping the Squack Pad into his backpack.

"Creech, Digit and I can go together." Jackie decided. "Since two of us will have Squack Pads."

"So then I guess it's Slider, Nezzie, and me." Matt grinned. "We can start at the North side of Solaria."

"Yeah, let's go!" Inez cheered. "And don't call me Nezzie."

"That means we'll start at the South side, and we can meet in the middle." Jackie organized. "Okay, so should we take all of our luggage with us?"

"No, it's fine." Slider reassured her. "If we run out of time today, we can return here and spend tomorrow looking, too. That way we won't be weighed down by anything heavy. Just bring anything that you think you're going to need."

Jackie nodded and slipped the Squack Pad into her pocket. Inez handed Matt hers, and he put it in his backpack.

"Let's go, guys." Matt grinned.

Inez reached up and grabbed Matt's hand. He squeezed her hand comfortingly.

Jackie, Creech, and Digit stepped out into the Radopolis sun, smiling and chatting, as though they were just another pair of friends, spending a day away from responsibilities.

"All right, ready Reeny?" Matt teased.

Inez stuck out her tongue. "Don't call me that!"

Slider joined them, and they stepped outside. He quickly locked up his home before leading them to the Transportation Center. They look a leisure pace, so that they wouldn't catch up to Jackie and Creech.

"I want to go to R-Fair City." Inez declared suddenly.

Matt glanced down in surprise. It had been a long time since Inez had asked for anything, so for her to just announce that she wanted something – well, it was a big surprise.

"Maybe when we have some free time." He finally said, phrasing it so any passerby wouldn't think anything strange. "We'll go when we're free."

Inez nodded quietly.

The rest of the trip was made in silence, everyone absorbed in their own thoughts.

"How long will it take us to get to Solaria?" Inez asked a little while later, just as they entered the Transportation Center.

"It will take us an hour, tops." Slider answered. "I just hope we'll be able to find what we're looking for quickly."

"Yeah, me too." Inez answered.

Matt was silently impressed. Ever since they'd arrived in Radopolis, Ire – Inez had been speaking more than she'd had in the last three weeks back in Smallsville.

Irene was slowly becoming Inez again. He was just wondering when Mike was going to become Matt.


	13. Chapter 12

The Hacker was furious. It had been nearly two years since the disappearance of the Cybersquad, and he had yet to find them. He had been throwing citizens left and right in jails, planning to toss them into black holes to smoke the Earth brats and Digit out of hiding. He thought that once word had gotten out about the terrible injustice, the righteous kiddies would come straight to their rescue – but no.

"Hackie-poo!" A shrill, irritating voice pierced the air. The Hacker winced as Wicked popped into view, carrying a mountain of dresses.

"That's _The _Hackie-poo to you, Wicked dear." He corrected gently. Now that there was almost no chance of their defeat (except for those pesky kids), The Hacker and Wicked's relationship had dramatically improved.

"Whatever, darling." Wicked shrugged delicately. "Listen dear, you have to choose the colors for our wedding."

"Wedding?" The Hacker paused. "What?"

Wicked sighed impatiently. "Hackie-poo, Cyberspace needs a strong leader, but what's even more important?"

"Ultimate control?" The Hacker guessed.

"No! _Two_ strong leaders. And if the two strong leaders are connected in some way, no one in all of Cyberspace will be able to resist their control!"

The Hacker had no idea what Wicked was talking about, but her voice was giving him a headache.

"Alright, whatever you say. Why don't you choose the colors?"

"Really?" Wicked gasped.

"In fact, why don't you just take care of the entire wedding? I'll just show up when it's time to say our vows." The Hacker suggested.

Wicked let out a sharp squeal. "You mean, I get to plan the entire event without consulting you?"

"Um...sure." The Hacker hoped he wasn't making a huge hole in his wallet as he agreed. Suddenly, a loud beeping noise began from The Hacker's chair. "Listen, Wicked, we'll discuss this later. I'm heading out to check on Smallsville again. I have a bad feeling about that town..."

Wicked harrumphed. "Honestly, Hackie! Those creeping kids get all your attention, while, I your blushing bride, get close to none! You should just stop searching for them. I'm sure they're probably dead by now."  
"I can't rest until I know that's true." The Hacker declared. "If it turns out there's even a slight chance that they're not, I could be defeated. And The Hacker will never be defeated!"

Wicked coughed lightly. Oddly enough, the cough sounded quite a bit like the word "paranoid." The Hacker simply shrugged it off.

"Well, I must be off." He sighed. With a sweep of his magnificent magenta cape (his usual purple one was in the wash), he set out to find and bring down all resistance within his kingdom.

He threw open the doors dramatically and almost ran smack dab into Ledge. The Hacker instantly scowled.

Ledge was like that teenage bum of a son that no one really wanted around, but he was smart enough to secure his position. The Hacker really couldn't get rid of him without also ridding himself of secret plans, rumors, and vague whispers of the Cybersquad.

"Ledge." He sighed. "What can I do for you?"

Ledge grinned smugly. He knew exactly what his role in the grand scheme of things was. He also knew exactly how fast he would be booted out if The Hacker decided he wasn't necessary. And while Cyberspace may have not had a choice accepting The Hacker as their ruler, they most certainly would not be too kind to Ledge.

"Well, Hackie-poo," Ledge began, grinning at The Hacker's wince. "I've found three new safe houses, where my sources say Miss Fileshare, Shari Spotter, and Fluff."

"Excellent." The Hacker grinned evilly. "Taking down their friends will surely force the Earth brats into the spotlight."

"You know, you really should start looking into my idea of going back to places you've already raided." Ledge suggested calmly. "It's kind of stupid that you don't. Anyone who has figured it out by now can wait until you're done at a place and then go live there. They don't even have to worry about you finding them."

The Hacker stopped. "But what if there's no one there, and I'm just wasting time doing that?"

Ledge rolled his eyes. "And if they are there, and you're wasting time looking for new places every day?"

"Fine." The Hacker snapped. "I'll go back to Solaria today after I look at these safe houses and threaten Smallsville again."

"Good." Ledge said approvingly.

"Get out of my way." The Hacker growled.


	14. Chapter 13

Inez's feet were aching. They'd been on the move for about three hours, checking out public places first for any sight of Dr. Marbles. If that failed, they were planning on going door-to-door.

Slider had told them that Dr. Marbles was going by the name Drew Marberry, as a local physician, which was easy enough to ask for at each house. Still, everyone was reluctant to be seen or interact with ordinary citizens. It went against everything they had been living for the last two years. Lay low, stay quiet, and don't bring in attention.

"Are you alright, Irene?" Matt asked gently. "Do you want me to carry you?"

"I'm fine." Inez answered. She hated being called Irene, but she knew it was necessary.

"We can stop and get something to eat." Slider offered. "It'll only take a few minutes. Besides, I'm getting kind of hungry anyway."

"Yeah, food sounds good." Matt nodded. He absently placed his hand on the back of Inez's shirt.

Inez had to hold back a laugh. When this whole nightmare had started, she'd had a lot of trouble learning how to walk on such short legs. She'd always refused when Matt and Jackie offered to carry her. Eventually, both Matt and Jackie had gotten into the habit of holding the back of her shirt, to catch her and pull her upright when she fell. Now, they only did that when they were subconsciously afraid that she would get separated from them.

Digit was a lot more fun. When they were allowed to go out and play, he loved to run alongside her. Sometimes, he would flap his wings and fly around, and lift Inez up a few inches off the ground. They usually ended up wrestling or racing each other, releasing all their pent up energy in good-natured fights.

Inez sighed lightly. She hated that Digit wasn't allowed to talk. It was like a piece of his personality had been ripped out of him. She wanted Digit back, not Donald.

"Come on, Reeny, what do you want to eat?" Slider asked, pulling her from her thoughts. He shot her a disarming smile, distracting her from the fact that he'd called her "Reeny."

"I'll take a sandwich." Inez decided.

"Peanut butter and jelly?" Matt confirmed, digging around for his wallet.

Inez nodded and turned around to look at the other customers. They were at an outdoor café, and it seemed to be a fairly slow hour. Only two other customers were in the area. One was an exhausted-looking elderly man, sitting at a table, and the other was a vivacious young woman, standing behind them in line. She smiled shyly at the woman, who waved back.

"Can I go find a table?" Inez tugged on Matt's hand.

"Go ahead." Matt replied.

Inez chose a clean table not too far from the counter. The food came out quickly, and it was silent as everyone inhaled their food.

The screech of tires suddenly reached their ears. A fancy car came careening into view, stopping in front of the café. Inez turned to see who the owner of the car was.

To her absolute shock and horror, Delete hopped out of the driver's seat and scurried to open the side door. A mean, green figure emerged out of the car.

Inez whimpered under her breath as Hacker – _The_ Hacker – stormed down the aisle to the food counter.

The young woman barely had time to leap out of his way. Everyone busied themselves eating, although their eyes followed the daunting dictator. Matt grabbed Inez and slid her in between himself and Slider, as though they could shield her with their bodies.

"Stupid Ledge." Hacker growled to himself. "Saying it's a good idea to re-visit places where I've already gone. What a dumb idea!"

"But Boss." Delete began tentatively. "If it's such a dumb idea, why did you say yes to do it?"

Hacker sighed impatiently. "You wouldn't understand, duncebucket."

"Okay, Boss." Delete replied quietly.

"Get me my usual." Hacker snapped. "I'm going to head to Radopolis instead of Smallsville, like I originally planned. This is going to throw my entire schedule off!"

The café worker hurriedly threw together Hacker's order and handed it to Delete before cowering behind the counter. With no snelfus exchanged, The Hacker and Delete took off.

After the car darted away, everyone took a deep breath of relief. Slider turned in alarm to Matt and Inez.

"We have to get back and clean out the safe house!" He hissed. "He'll get inside and find everything!"

Just then, the squackpad beeped. Matt quickly took it out, and Jackie's face filled the screen.

"Guys!" She grinned. Her excitement seemed to pour out of the pad. "We found him! We've found Drew Marberry!"


	15. Chapter 14

The ride back to Slider's place was silent and tense. Jackie, Digit, and Creech had been informed of the situation, and were waiting in Solaria with Dr. Marbles.

"Okay, guys," Slider began carefully, leaning in toward Matt and Inez. "Here's the deal. I'll go back to my home and pick up everything that I forgot and maybe – uh – clean it up a bit. You guys should look for a small hotel that we can stay at."

"Hotels require information, though." Matt mused.

"Besides," Inez spoke up. "We're not leaving you!"

Slider smiled sadly. "The best way for everything to go smoothly is if I go solo, Nez – Reeny."

Inez bit her lip. "But the risk is so high!"

Matt took a deep breath. "I have an idea."

Slider and Inez turned to him.

"Why don't we stay at our place for a while? In Smallsville." Matt suggested nervously. "We've got plenty of space for everyone, and except for the Transportation Center, there's no need for information."

Inez beamed brilliantly. "That's a perfect idea! Yes! Let's do that!"

Slider nodded slowly. "Okay. Yeah, sure. I can see it happening."

"And, Samuel, I can come with you." Matt continued, gaining confidence. "Irene's right, it's not good if you go alone."

Slider opened his mouth before sighing and nodding slowly.

"What about me?" Inez asked. She already knew she wasn't going to be allowed to go with them, Matt realized.

He gave her an apologetic smile. "When we get there, we'll give Kate and Mom a call. They'll come pick you up, and you can go back to Smallsville. Don't forget, you have to get all the information about Drew Marberry for me. I want to know everything."

Inez rolled her eyes, but nodded. "Okay."

Matt bit back a sigh and leaned back in his seat. He didn't like sending Inez away, but he didn't want to place her in any more danger than she was already in.

The second they arrived, Matt excused himself to go to the bathroom, where he quickly called Jackie. After confirming the plan, he returned to Slider and Inez.

"Jessie and Kate are grabbing the first pod back here." Matt explained.

"Mike," Slider spoke up urgently. "Look, there's a play-area got kids. We can leave Irene there until Jessie arrives to get her."

Matt's stomach dropped.

"It's too dangerous. She needs to stay with someone." He answered immediately.

Inez slipped her hand through his and tugged gently. He squatted down so he was eye level with her.

"I'll be fine." She whispered into his ear. "Give me my squackpad – I can call you if I need anything. Matt, please, it's only for a few hours. I can do this."

Matt put his arms around the little girl mechanically. For the last two years, he had trained himself to be completely protective. He had always ignored what Inez or Jackie wanted in favor of keeping them safe. This situation went against his entire relationship with Inez for the last two years. But he already knew what his answer would be.

"Fine." He mumbled. "But please, Inez, be _careful_. And if anything happens, call me or Jackie. Don't try to do anything on your own."

Inez threw her arms around Matt and hugged him tightly. "Thank you! Thank you, thank you, thank you! I promise, I'll be careful."

Matt slowly pulled out her squackpad and handed it to her, watching as she tucked it into her pocket.

"Do we need to sign you in?" He asked after a moment.

"No." Inez replied. "Only some people are signing their kids in. Others are just playing."

"Okay." Matt muttered. "Okay."

Inez hugged his again before turning and joining the creaming children in the play-area.

"She'll be okay." Slider placed a comforting hand on his shoulder. "She's a lot more capable than you give her credit for."

"I know." Matt answered softly. "I know."

They arrived at Slider's place quickly. Slider did a speedy security check to see if anyone had entered while they'd been out. No one had.

Slider went downstairs to get anything that would alert The Hacker to a rebellion, while Matt gathered up the suitcases. He was thankful they had packed light.

Slider threw some of his and Creech's things into a couple of bags, and then he and Matt trashed the place.

Matt had to admit, it was plenty of fun throwing fragile items on the ground and watching them shatter. He stopped short of jumping on the couch and looked around.

Everything was sufficiently destroyed, and it looked like the last people to use the place were some party-throwing teenagers.

"Let's go." Slider said, throwing the door open.

Matt pulled out all their stuff and they moved outside.

The sun was beginning to set, the only indication that they had spent quite a while in Slider's house. Everything else seemed the same, and Matt wasn't wearing a watch to see exactly how long they had been there.

They hurried along, making good time. Suddenly a loud gasp prompted Matt to look behind him.

Hovering over the newly-destroyed safe house, was the Grim Wreaker.

And Buzz and Delete were climbing down to check inside the house.

Matt tightened his hold on his backpack, resisting the urge to call Inez and Jackie and make sure they were okay.


	16. Chapter 15

The giddiness Inez had felt from when she'd been completely alone was slowly fading away. She'd been so free and happy. Although it was nice, knowing that her friends were always with her, the constant companionship was also incredibly suffocating. For almost two hours of her life, she'd been completely alone and free to do anything she wanted.

Of course, Inez wasn't stupid. She didn't do anything that would cause attention to herself. She had mostly just hidden around in corners, gazing at all the other, harried passengers. None of them paid attention to her. For all they knew, she looked like she was minding her own business.

By the time Jackie had arrived, she was back in the play-area, building a small town with blocks. Jackie had grabbed her hand tightly, and Inez knew she had worried the entire time they were apart.

By the time they arrived at the Transportation Center, Jackie had calmed down. Creech gave Inez a sympathetic smile as she tugged her hand out of Jackie's death grip.

"Drew Marberry is visiting us. He's at home." Creech informed her.

Inez felt her heart squeeze in excitement at the news. "He's here? How did you find him?"

"He found us, actually." Jackie mentioned. She held the door open for everyone as they filed out of the Center and began the trek home.

"We were wandering around the beach when we saw someone who looked exactly like him. We didn't want to say anything in case he wasn't, so we moved closer. When we heard him discussing portals and college-level physics like it was everyday common knowledge, we knew it was Dr. – uh, Drew Marberry." Creech explained.

"That's awesome!" Inez cheered, unable to chase a huge grin off her face. "And he's at home? What are we waiting for? Come on!"

She took off running. Creech followed, both of them ignoring Jackie's light laughter behind them.

They got home quickly, breathing hard but laughing. Inez bounded up the stairs and pushed the door open.

She peered inside, and caught a glimpse of a short, stout man with hair almost snow white. Beyond the difference in height, weight, and hair color, he was still the same old Doctor.

"Inez? Is that really you?" He asked. Before he could get another word out, she threw herself into his arms.

Inez had always been close to Dr. Marbles, even more so than Jackie, Matt, or Digit. While the others tended to tune out the scientific explanations that Dr. Marbles loved to give about everything, Inez always paid attention and listened carefully. They both enjoyed having long, intellectual conversations together.

"Dr. Marbles!" Inez squealed, hugging her old mentor tightly.

"Calm down, now, Inez." Dr. Marbles hugged her back gently. "I'm here, and we're going to put a stop to all this madness now."

Inez grinned at the determination in his voice.

Jackie came into the room, her face alight with excitement. "Matt just called on the Squack Pad. He and Slider and heading back now. Once they get here, we're going to call all our allies."

"What's our plan?" Inez asked curiously.

"I'll explain after everyone gets here." Dr. Marbles promised.


	17. Chapter 16

Matt felt incredibly uncomfortable.

As soon as he and Slider had arrived and greeted Dr. Marbles, Slider had set up his machine. After a few moments of brief discussion, Matt had clicked the button.

Now, friends he had thought he would never see again were streaming in through the door. Some of them had lived only a few hours away, and he'd never known. Others were still coming, from places as far away as Casablanca.

"Matt!" Shari Spotter grinned and hugged him. She was about his age. Behind her, Professor Stumblesnore stumbled into the room. "Oh, it's so good to see you!"

"You too, Shari. Come on, sit down." Matt found an abandoned chair and set it upright for her.

He wandered into the kitchen where Jackie and Slider had made some snacks. There were quite a few platters already being handed around, but he picked up two more, just so he looked like he was doing something.

"Irene?" The name popped out of his mouth before his brain acknowledged it as he caught sight of her, hiding behind the counter.

He shook his head, before correcting himself. "I mean, Inez. What are you doing?"

Inez glanced at him, before ducking down behind the counter to make herself even more invisible. "Nothing."

"Nezzie…" Matt began.

Inez sighed slightly. "It's nothing, okay?"

Matt shrugged. Normally, he would try to pry it out of her, but he was feeling a little overwhelmed by all the people who were coming and he imagined she was, too. "Well, okay. I'm going to go put these snacks out on the table."

Inez looked a little surprised that he hadn't tried to look into it any further. She nodded, relieved.

Matt put it out of his mind as he set the platter of carrots and dip on the table and was approached by Ms. Fileshare.

Someone cleared their throat loudly. "May I have your attention, please?"

Everyone turned to see Slider, standing authoritatively at the front. Behind him, Dr. Marbles was nervously wringing his hands.

"Dr. Marbles has a plan. I'm going to let him explain it, so please listen carefully." Slider gracefully stepped out of the limelight and let Dr. Marbles take over.

Dr. Marbles coughed awkwardly. "Well…I – the plan depends on two people infiltrating Hacker's home. They need to find the screen where Motherboard used to be. I know that Hacker has removed it, but I don't know where he's kept it. After that, we'll all go in and find the screen. I have a chip that I believe will reboot Motherboard. We'll have to create a distraction, of course, but that would be best worried about after the first phase of the plan is taken care of."

Everyone was nodding. They looked around at each other nervously. Matt met Jackie's eyes from across the room.

"Who's going to go in?" Creech questioned. "They have to be two people that look so different from what they used to be, The Hacker would never even suspect them."

Instantly, the mood deflated. No one was _that_ different.

"I'll go." A voice spoke up from the kitchen.

Matt turned his head around so fast he might have gotten whiplash. Inez was standing in the soft kitchen light, right in front of the door. She looked so young and innocent, and so completely incapable of doing such a big mission.

"Me too." Digit floated down next to her. His voice was scratchy from lack of use, but his face showed pure, grim determination.

Matt glanced at Jackie. Her face was white with shock, and Matt knew his expression was about the same.

Inez and Digit were the perfect candidates for the mission.

He couldn't bear it if they went.

Cyberspace…or his family?


	18. Chapter 17

The Hacker, Supreme Ruler of all of Cyberspace, was supremely livid.

"You said they would be there!" He screamed at Ledge, picking up an expensive glass vase and chucking it at the wall. It didn't make him feel much better.

"They were supposed to be!" Ledge dodged a pillow. "I swear! I honestly sent you there because I thought they were there!"

Outside, Buzz and Delete listened to The Hacker's raging.

"Buzzie, I think this ruling this is really bad for the Boss's health." Delete whispered. "He's been really mad ever since he started."

"Yeah, I think you're right, Dee Dee." Buzz agreed.

"I still can't believe that no one will come to our Doughnut-Bunny shop because they're afraid of the Boss!" Delete sobbed.

"There, there." Buzz comforted Delete. "Don't tell anyone I said this, but I think that the Boss shouldn't be doing this. It's really bad for all of us."

"It's always been bad for us." Delete pointed out. "Since when have we ever cared?"

"I think it's about time that we start thinking about ourselves." Buzz admitted.

"Don't let the Boss know that you're thinking like that." Delete warned. "He'll get real mad."

"I know! Don't you think I know?" Buzz burst out. "But, Dee Dee. Just listen. He's always beating us up and bossing us around. Don't you want your bunny shop, without people running in fear? Aren't you sick and tired of the Boss ruling? Don't you want to be free?"

"Yeah…" Delete trailed off. "But, Buzzie…"

"No buts! Come on, we have to get free, Delete! We have to start making our own life!" Buzz pressed.

Delete sighed. "But, Buzzie…how?"


	19. Chapter 18

Inez and Digit were going over the details of the plan with Dr. Marbles. Matt headed outside and collapsed on the front step, staring at the setting sun sullenly.

He felt the door open behind him, and someone came over to sit next to him. He didn't move, hoping that they would just go after a little while.

"They're doing a pretty brave thing." Shari Spotter said next to him. "Aren't you proud?"

"I'm very proud." Matt muttered.

"You must also be terrified." Shari added. "I know I would be."

"No offense, Shari, but you really don't understand." Matt mumbled. "I just kind of want to be alone right now."

Shari nodded as though she was agreeing, but she didn't move. "Matt, explain it to me. I want to understand."

Matt leaned back on his hands. He sighed heavily. "It's just…I don't know. I mean, Hacker has always been such a huge threat. I was always the one who took take care of everything, you know? I'm the oldest. I always made sure that we were safe, and that we weren't going to be found, and that Hacker didn't have a clue that we were here. Now…"

"Now it feels like you're failing." Shari finished for him.

Matt nodded. He didn't feel like saying anything, now that his biggest fears had been spoken aloud.

They sat in silence for a few moments, before he shook his head. "What if they get hurt? What is Hacker finds them? What if the entire plan gets messed up? Shari, this is too dangerous!"

Shari put a comforting hand on his arm. "It's just as dangerous as living on a farm in plain sight."

"It's not the same thing." Matt insisted.

"Yes, it is." Shari promised. "It's exactly the same thing."

* * *

Meanwhile, Jackie was in her room, with the door shut. She was sitting on her bed, clutching the blanket tightly, trying not to let her tears fall.

She heard the door ease open, but she didn't look up.

"Hey, Jacks." Slider murmured, coming to sit next to her. "Are you okay?"

"No, I am _not_ okay." Jackie burst out. "How can I let them do this? Inez and Digit are so young! They don't have the…the abilities to pull this off. It's too dangerous for them. What if something happens? What if Hacker finds them? What if they get hurt? What if we can't get to them? What if they get trapped? What if they can't get out again? What if –"

"What if it works and we save Cyberspace?" Slider interrupted.

Jackie fell silent.

"Jackie, I promise, what they're about to do is no more dangerous than what you and Matt have been doing for the last two years. I know you've been taking care of them for so long, but I think it's about time you let the two of them go free." Slider gently tugged the blanket out of her grasp.

"I don't know if I can." Jackie whispered.


	20. Chapter 19

Inez took a deep breath and shot Digit a nervous smile. After she had gone over the details of the plan with Dr. Marbles, the crowd of people had mostly dispersed through the house. Jackie and Matt had disappeared, and she hadn't seen them for a while. She and Digit were the only ones in the living room.

At first, she had been incredibly giddy and excited that she was actually going to get the chance to do something to stop Hacker. Now that some time had passed, however, her anticipation was slowly churning into nervous anxiety. She couldn't help but think of all the things that could possibly go wrong with the plan.

"Don't worry, Inez." Digit told her confidently. "We can do it."

"We've done it before, we can do it again." Inez agreed.

Digit smiled at her, and Inez threw her arms around him. "Oh, Didge! It's so good to have you back."

"You too, Nezzie, you too."

"Don't call me Nezzie." Inez snapped. She met Digit's eyes, and the two of them dissolved into giggles.

"Hey, you two, what's so funny?" Jackie's soft voice reached their ears.

Inez turned to see Matt and Jackie slowly enter the room. Matt seemed subdued, and Jackie looked like she had been crying, although her face was scrubbed clean.

"Nothing." Inez said innocently. "What's up with you guys?"

"We just came to say good luck." Jackie explained, sitting down next to Inez. She smiled tearfully at Digit and took a deep breath.

Matt took his place next to Digit and looked at both Inez and Jackie. For the longest time, they had been his girls. Digit had been his friend. The three of them had been his _family_. But every family had to open up and let everyone fly solo. And now it was their turn.

"Good luck." He said. He opened up his expression and let his face mirror his thoughts – something he hadn't done in a long, long time. He was sincere, scared, and sure all at the same time. They would succeed. Even if he wasn't there to help them do it.

"We'll be watching to make sure everything goes all right." Jackie continued for him. "And we'll be there the second you two give the okay. I talked to Dr. Marbles and made sure that we would be on the immediate action team."

Inez smiled fondly at her. "Okay."

"We'll wait for you, then." Digit added.

Just hearing his voice almost made Jackie want to cry. Her first reaction was to shush him and look over her shoulder to see if anyone had noticed that they had a talking bird. She didn't have to do that anymore, though.

She looked up at Matt and sucked in a deep breath. One way or the other, by the next week, it would all be over.


	21. Chapter 20

Digit swallowed hard. He stared at the place that used to be his home. The outer appearance hadn't changed very much, but it seemed to radiate evil. There was no touch of kindness or warmth that had always been there under Motherboard's control.

"Are you okay?" Inez whispered.

"Fine." Digit grunted.

He could feel her sympathetic gaze, and he had to take a deep breath. She knew how difficult it was to see the shards of his old life, sticking out like sharp shells in grainy sand. After all, this place brought back memories for her, too.

"Ready?" Inez murmured.

Digit nodded. "Baduh bing, badah boom."

Inez smiled faintly.

She surged ahead, straight through the front doors. Digit took a deep breath, waiting to see if an alarm would sound.

Hacker must have particularly confident that no one would ever walk through his front doors undetected, because as far as Digit could tell, there was no security system.

Digit crept in exactly ten minutes after Inez. He headed toward the south side of the building, searching for closets or storage rooms that Hacker might have stuffed Motherboard's old screen in. He prayed that Hacker hadn't had the foresight to destroy it.

"Hackie-poo!" A shrill, irritating voice caught Digit's attention. He moved forward to see through an open door. Hacker was standing in a tuxedo, while Wicked carefully scrutinized him up and down. "You look scrumptious!"

"Great, Wicked. Can I go now? I have a lot of things to do – like find those stupid Earthlies."

"Don't worry, dear, let me just finish making the last few measurements. Then you can go." Wicked reassured him sweetly.

Digit stared.

Hacker…and Wicked…were getting married?

It took all of Digit's self-control not to burst into laughter. He wondered how long it was going to last before one of them killed the other.

He was just about to move on when he felt eyes on him. He turned to see Delete's eyes on him.

Digit's heart stopped. Delete was Hacker's loyal duncebucket – he would give up Digit's position immediately.

Delete opened his mouth, and then closed it. He walked over.

Digit felt frozen. He couldn't move. He was cemented to his spot in terror. All their hard work _over_. _Done_.

Delete looked at him carefully, and then reached over and closed the door. Just before it fully hid him, he mouthed "Go!"

Digit stumbled away, hurling down the corridor. As soon as he passed a safe corner, he hid.

His Squack Pad suddenly screeched to life, and he yanked it out.

Inez's eyes were sparkling on the other end.

"Digit!" She whispered. "I found it! I've found Motherboard's screen!"

"Inez," Digit replied hoarsely. "That's great! I think I've found out something, too."

"What is it?"

"I think Buzz and Delete are on our side." Digit admitted.


	22. Chapter 21

Jackie took a deep breath. Her pocket felt weighed down with what Dr. Marbles had handed to her. This was it. The precious cargo would either make or break the rest of Cyberspace's life.

Matt caught her eye. Inez's signal had arrived.

It was time to go in.

"Citizens of Cyberspace!" Matt shouted loudly. The rebellion group that had been in their house seemed to swell as more and more people joined them. New and old faces turned to stare at them, and Jackie swallowed nervously.

"Hacker has controlled our lives for too long! We should no longer have to live in fear! We should no longer have to hide from our neighbors, friends, family! Hacker's reign has gone on too long!"

The crowd roared in approval, and Slider climbed up next to Matt. "Come on, Cyberspace! Let's rescue those prisoners! Let's show Hacker who we think really should be in charge!"

"Motherboard!" Someone shrieked. "Motherboard!"

The crowd began cheering and chanting. "Motherboard! Motherboard! MOTHERBOARD!"

"Let's go!" Slider waved his arm and rushed through the doors. Jackie and Matt hurried after him, and the huge group of rebels followed them. Everyone was angry and frenzied; ready for results.

Slider hurled down the hallways, almost as though there were rollerblades underneath his feet. He turned a corner, straight into a room with large, iron cages.

"Help!" Someone screamed. Jackie recognized her – the teacher, Miss Gerald, from Smallsville!

"Matt, Hacker didn't throw the prisoners into the Black Hole!" Jackie hissed.

Matt nodded, his eyes shining. "They're going to be alright!"

"Go, you guys." Creech was next to them. "Inez and Digit need you!"

Matt and Jackie scrambled out the door, avoiding the craze of the mob. A door came flying their way, but they ducked.

"They won't hurt each other." Matt reassured Jackie (and himself.) "They're just going after Hacker."

Jackie rolled her eyes. She pulled out her Squack Pad and found herself looking at Digit. "Didge! Where do we go?"

Digit gave them thorough directions, but before he ended, he had one more thing to add. "Guys! Buzz and Delete are on our side! I don't know if they'll switch over when Hacker is around, but they definitely want us to win."

"How do you know?" Matt demanded.

Digit related his experience, grinning broadly. "They're secret allies!"

"Hopefully we can convince them to get out of here before the rebellion finds them." Jackie muttered darkly.

She and Matt continued down the halls, stopping whenever one of Hacker's workers flitted by.

"Buzzie!" Delete's familiar voice reached them. Matt grabbed Jackie and held her back.

"Delete, did you hear? There's a bunch of people freeing up the prisoners!" Buzz shouted.

"What do we do? Should we warn the Boss?" Delete asked, wringing his hands.

"No, DeeDee. This is the chance we've been waiting for!" Buzz cheered. "Let's get out of here!"

"But Buzzie…" Delete lowered his voice to a whisper. "What if the Boss wins?"

"Then we'll come back. We'll just say that we were out buying groceries." Buzz suggested, pleased with his fool-proof excuse.

Delete beamed. "Let's go!"

Matt and Jackie exchanged meaningful glances. Digit had been right.

After the two henchmen rushed away, Matt and Jackie continued down the hall.

"Here!" Jackie stopped, tugging Matt over to a door. Matt quickly opened it, and they stumbled in.

Inez and Digit were waiting for them. Wordlessly, Inez pointed to a machine that was in the corner. She and Digit had already hooked it up. All it needed was an encryptor chip.

Jackie shakily pulled it out of her pocket and took a deep breath.

"Hello, kiddies."

The four of them whirled around to see Hacker grinning at them from the door. "Miss me?"


	23. Chapter 22

"Hacker." Digit hissed.

"Now, now, kiddies. Let's not make this dangerous, shall we? Why don't you hand over that little chip, and we can discuss the terms for letting your foolish little friends go. I'm sure Slider, Creech, and all the others would much rather prefer that." Hacker's eyes gleamed with a maniacal spark.

"Jackie!" Inez screamed.

Jackie didn't hesitate. Without turning to look, she threw the chip at Matt. When Hacker scowled, she knew Matt had caught it.

"Give that to me!" Hacker shouted. He lunged toward Matt, who chucked the chip at Digit.

Digit caught it easily. When Hacker came for him, he spread his wings and hurled the chip to Inez.

Her tiny fingers wrapped around it, and she whirled around and shoved it into the machine.

"Inez!" Matt yelled out in warning, just as Hacker reached for her. He pushed Inez out of the way and smashed his fist against the machine. The machine began whirring to life.

"No!" Hacker screamed, just as the lights all blinked out. "WICKED! THIS IS ALL YOUR FAULT!"

Inez slipped over to where Matt and Jackie were standing. Matt put a hand on the back of her shirt, trying not to tremble. He couldn't tell what was happening, and that was what scared him the most.

The entire building began rumbling.

And then everything went black.


	24. Chapter 23

Inez felt a warm tingling go through her entire body. She felt herself being lifted in the air, but she couldn't muster enough effort to open her eyes. She felt as though her soul was floating in the air. After a few, silent minutes, she felt her feet touch the ground again.

Gasping, her eyes flew open, and she whirled around. The first thing she saw was the sight of a beautiful woman.

"Motherboard!" Inez cried. Despite the fact that she had only ever seen Motherboard through a screen, she recognized the ruler of Cyberspace instantly.

Inez ran over and threw her arms around Motherboard, who returned the enthusiastic hug warmly.

Inez looked down at herself and gasped. "I'm back! I'm my own size again! But…Motherboard, where are we?"

"Inez, I cannot return just yet." Motherboard said kindly. "Come with me."

Inez followed Motherboard. The world around them gradually changed from a dull gray to a house. Motherboard opened the door and motioned for Inez to sit down at a dining chair. She pulled out two cups of milk and placed one in front of Inez.

"I've been forced into this lonely world ever since my encryptor chip was removed." Motherboard began sadly. "Very occasionally, a window will open up into Cyberspace. I can't go through, but I can see what is happening. I have watched Hacker destroy all that I stood for. I watched you, Matt, Jackie, and Digit. I watched Slider and Creech. But the worst part that came with the knowledge was that I couldn't do anything for you."

Inez looked down at her cup; tears pricked in her eyes. "Motherboard…"

Motherboard stood up and pulled Inez into a comforting hug. "Do not despair, Inez. Although I watched all of these going-ons with a sinking heart, one thing kept me hoping – that one thing was you. No matter what happened, you always held on to your belief that you would defeat Hacker and save the world one day. Your faith was astounding. You were the reason that I didn't give up; that I kept watching whenever the windows appeared."

Inez wrapped her arms around Motherboard, holding back her tears. "I've missed you so much, Motherboard."

"I've missed you, too." Motherboard whispered. "When you saw that book in the library, I knew that something big was about to happen. You never gave up, and that made me hold on to hope. Now, I must ask you for one last favor."

"Anything." Inez promised instantly.

"Keep hoping. Don't ever lose your faith." Motherboard whispered. She kissed Inez on the forehead, and Inez marveled at the strength and kindness that one action conveyed.

"I won't." Inez whispered. "Not ever."

Motherboard stood up and closed her eyes. Inez did the same, and she felt the same out-of-body experience as before.

When she opened her eyes, she was back in Control Center. Jackie, Digit, and Matt, were surrounded by all of the other rebels, all laughing and crying. All of them were back to their own size.

Hacker was in the corner, also crying.

Inez looked at the screen, and smiled warmly at the radiant woman looking back at her.

Motherboard was back.


	25. Epilogue

**Epilogue**

"I'm glad you could make it." Jackie smiled as Matt sat down across from her.

"Yeah, it's been a while since we've seen each other." Matt agreed. He was holding two Starbucks coffees in his hand, one of which he handed to Jackie.

"Thanks." Jackie murmured. She took a cautious sip. "So, how has work been for you?"

Matt shrugged. "It's been okay. You?"

"Fine."

They looked at the ground awkwardly. Neither really wanted to continue the polite small talk, but they didn't know how to begin the real conversation, either.

"Well, I'm just going to say it." Jackie finally began. She took a quick look around the room to make sure that no one was listening. "Inez's birthday is coming up, and I want to do something in Cyberspace. I already talked to Mother B and to Digit, and they're both on board. Digit was even talking about getting Slider and the others involved. The only thing is, it wouldn't be much of a trip to Cyberspace if you don't come. Come on, Matt, I know you're busy with your life and everything, but a little time in Cyberspace with all our friends can't hurt."

Matt took another sip of his drink, contemplating his options. "I want to, Jacks, I really do, but…"

"I know." Jackie murmured. "It's hard. Even for me. Every time I go visit, I feel like I could be trapped there again at any moment."

Matt nodded, avoiding eye contact. "That place was my home for so long. It feels like I'm betraying a part of childhood when I don't go back, but…I don't know how."

"You just have to jump in. It's like going swimming in a cold pool. Just take the plunge." A new voice joined the conversation. This voice was soft and sweet, and Jackie and Matt instantly looked up.

"Inez!" Jackie crossed her arms. "How much of that conversation did you hear?"

Inez smiled at her. "Only the last part."

Jackie relaxed, and took a minute to look over her friend. While she and Matt had grown up to look the way they had while they were in Cyberspace, Inez had changed completely. She had grown out her hair down to half her back, and wore contacts in lieu of glasses. She wore a simple light blue sundress and flip-flops. With minimal make up, she still retained the youthful glow of her adolescence, but she had an aura of maturity around her as well – one that most people her age wouldn't even begin to know how to get. One that could only have come from her time in Cyberspace.

"I guess you're right." Matt sighed, smiling lightly. "I guess it's time to go back."

"Come on." Inez stood up. "Digit's going to send the portal through my cell phone."

"Let's go." Matt and Jackie said in unison.

The three of them shared a smile.


End file.
